1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transportable buildings and, more particularly, to foldable trailerable buildings.
2. Description of Related Art
At construction sites, offices are required for administrative, management and engineering work. Usually, such offices are in the form of conventional trailers with interiors configured to meet the requirements of the work to be preformed therein. These trailers are limited in width due to travel restrictions attendant transport on public roads. To obtain additional width, pairs of trailers are constructed to be joined to one another lengthwise at the building site and thereby provide a double wide trailer. These single or double wide trailers typically rest upon the same wheels used for trailering and jack stands or the like may be placed at the corners to provide further support and rigidity. While these trailers are relatively convenient, they suffer from several limitations. First, the trailering width requires a heavy duty tow-truck and a following vehicle warning motorists of the wide load. Second, the single and double wide trailers are generally built to support relatively light weight in the form of desks, chairs, and beds. Machinery and heavy duty tools can usually not be brought in to the trailer and even if it could, the floor support structure is inadequate to support the weight without creating a hazard. Thus, the single and double wide trailers are generally limited to use as offices at a construction site.
In order to house heavy duty machinery or storage of equipment at a temporary site, a building would have to be erected. Buildings of this type are available in a prefabricated form. Nevertheless, erection and dismantling of such buildings is time consuming and expensive as walls, joists, roofs, doors, etc. must be unpacked and erected. Such erection generally requires cranes or other heavy duty equipment and skilled operators to operate same. Similar equipment and operators must be present during dismantling. Usually, a building kit or prefabricated building is brought to and removed from a site on a flat bed trailer pulled by a heavy duty truck.
The present invention includes a pair of rigid side walls having bi-fold end walls which permit the side walls to be brought together with the end walls folded therebetween. Each roof half folds downwardly along the interior of its respective side wall. A set of realignable wheel assemblies is disposed at the opposed approximate midpoints of the side walls to provide a rolling surface for lateral movement of the side walls during unfolding and folding of the building. For transport, the sets of wheel assemblies are reoriented 90xc2x0 into alignment with the side walls. In the folded state, a hitch assembly is attached to the front end, which hitch assembly precludes separation of the side walls. A locking bar is disposed at the rear end to prevent separation of the side walls. Jacks or the like may be disposed at each of the four corners of the building to raise and lower the building during repositioning of the sets of wheels and during placement of the building on and off the ground.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a foldable trailerable building.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively light weight foldable trailerable building.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable building with a set of wheels that may be reoriented to provide the support during folding and unfolding of the building and to permit trailering of the folded building.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a building having side walls, foldable end walls, and foldable roof-halves joined to one another by hinges.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a foldable and unfoldable building that may be rapidly situated upon and removed from a site.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a foldable trailerable building that is weather proof when erected.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for folding and unfolding a trailerable building.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.